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33 out west Good morning, this is my first time away in the 33 and caravan in a while,since my wife Carol passed , so I thought I would post some pics and thoughts along the way.
First up it’s very hot at the moment here,most days in the 35c up . I had done a service on the 33 before leaving and changed oil and filter and grease etc,plus I replaced a cracked rubber fuel line to the pump, On first day out the 33 just ran out of go on a hill it normally powers over,so I spluttered into a lay by and found the new fuel line was sucking air,an easy fix by recited the old one and off we went. At the end of the day I fitted a good new one . Fuel here is getting dearer thanks to Mr P, at $2 per litre and I’m sure it will get dearer,but that’s no drama, Last night I found a really nice spot to stop for the night out in the sticks, with kangaroos and other wild life for company. I’m on a country road called Womble bank gap road, I was looking for who les but never saw any. But there are the biggest and fastest cattle ever next to me, lucky there is a fence. Will post some more pics as I go along, I’m heading for Quilpie and Eromanga and maybe across the border into south Australia and if I’m game a little bit .of sand. Lawrie |
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Re: 33 out west Sounds like a great trip and nice caravan as well. Does the 33 still have mechanical brakes or has it been converted to hydraulics. Any trailer brakes? And sorry to hear about your loss.
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Re: 33 out west Lawrie, wish I was there to share the driving duties. It's hard to believe it was 4 years ago this month that we were there.
Wayno |
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33 still has mechanical brakes,but electric on the caravan worked off the 33 brake light switch just like a modern car with a rake controller in the 33,
It was not so,hot today and the 33 just pured along at 50-55. So I’m stopped for the night in the bush, well not much bush ,but a nice clean fresh water rock pool, I have been swimming and also done my washing, Petrol was 2.02 per litre today, I also went and looked at some old explorers campsites from the 1800s, one Major Mitchell, it was a 1-1/2 mile drive on a sandy track, but worth the visit. Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west Wayno, that seems like a long time ago,time sure moves fast,
The driving out west and on back country roads sure is nice and relaxing,some big hills though, I thought the 33 was loosing power until I saw the sign that said top of the great dividing range, I have a new set of rear gears in the 33, same ratio as before 3.78 ,these came from a low mileage wreck and are as quite as a mouse. Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...p;d=1646811919
Lawrie, I notice that you are driving on outback dirt roads. I hope that the recent Queensland Floods haven't caused you any grief? Regards Mercman <>< |
Re: 33 out west Thank you for taking Us along, Lawrie. This is a fantastic post and enjoying your trip along with you. Take care and be safe
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Re: 33 out west Hey Lawrie . . . glad that you're back on the road again - good for the soul. Thanks for the pics and the story - keep more coming our way!
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Re: 33 out west I looked you up on Google maps and you are out in the boonies for sure. In your original post you said: "I was looking for who les but never saw any." Is that a misprint or can you explain what a "who les" is?
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Re: 33 out west Lawrie, one day I hope to be as cool as you.
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Re: 33 out west Stretch, yes it was the pesky spellcheck,it should be wombles,as it was on wombles road,
Mercman,no drama with flooding out here,but it is nice and green, , I was not that cool these last few days, and today temp supposed to be 37c, but only a short drive out to Quilpie. Fuel they say will be up to2-20 per litre, oh well ,maybe I will go easy on the throttle,but most likely not as I like humming along at 50-55 mph, it would be easier if I was a teenager, as the local council yard supplied our petrol via the siphon hose then.lol. Main problem with the 33 yesterday was a load clunk from the firewall erea, oil p and temp fine so had a good look when I stopped for smoko, found the UHF radio speaker had fallen down by my feet, Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west I really enjoy your stories and the photos of your country side. Thank you for taking the time for us!!
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Re: 33 out west glad to see you out and about so keep the posts coming
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Re: 33 out west Real world fuel consumption.
I keep a log book of my travels and repairs for the 33 , The last few days fuel usage is mostly around 17litre per 100klm, with one at 19/100 and one at 23/ 100??, but lots of hills on that fill up, and ,one thing I find there is a variation in the quality of the fuel as on the run with 23 /100 the engine seemed flat and not as strong on the hills, I filled up after that at Charleville, and it was straight away heaps better, So even with a Stone Age engine fuel quality makes a difference, Just a bit of information about Charleville for the USA members, this was a huge USA airforce base in WW2 and one of the few places that had the then secret norton bomb sight, there is one on display,but it is under. lock and key as now they are worried Mr P may be after it LOL One minor problem with the 33 at the end of the day as I was checking in and parking my caravan my driving was not as good as it could be and I ran the caravan wheel over the edge of a concrete slab ,with a big clunk as I drove ever it, I then stalled, tried to start the engine but nothing happened, iI checked bat etc but no start,so got some folks to give me a push start, after I parked , and turned off ,it would then start like nothing had happened, the starter was not jammed, it would sort of try to turn the engine but just a 1/4 turn of the fan,the headlights stayed bright as I tried to start I think maybe the big bump and shock might have dislodged a starter brush or some thing, but it’s back to its normal self again. Maybe I check the battery cables . Top fuel cost so far 2.02 per litre, Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west Lawrie: You need to post some video to go along with your pictures, I am enjoying your adventure, I’ll probably never get to your part of the world.
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Re: 33 out west Lawrie gas NZ$ 3.30 per litre for premium (98 Octane ) in NZ. Kia Kaha -Karl
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Re: 33 out west Hi Lawrie, great to see you are having some fun again and checking out some historic places. Always interesting when you pull up in the old Ford and it brings out all the old folks who start talking about the cars they have owned. You never know one of them might still have a 34 V8 roadster in the shed. Regards, Kevin.
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Yes Kevin, I was looking in the local museum and goofed off to the coffee shop, when I got back they told me the local car nut had been looking at the 33,he has a model T thingy they told me,I’m here for a few days so he will catch up some time,also at Charleville and here, they told me there is also a guy traveling around in a red dodge,I haven’t seen him either,
And yes nice to be out and about again Thought you would like my cruise control and engine vitals. Lawrie |
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Re: 33 out west What a great way to view that beautiful country… Thanks so much for sharing
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Out in the sticks yesterday,mostly 37-39c and humming along at 50 mph,what more could you want,
Like I have said before, I have renewed admiration for those ford engineers, people say the engines got hot and over heated , well not out here . One couple I talked to in a Nissan at a flea bag stop ,said I was either stupid or a mechanic,traveling out here in the old ford, he said they always over heated and we’re unreliable, what would I do if it broke down,I told him that anything other than a catastrophic failure I could fix,what about his vehicle I asked , if that stopped the only Hope was a flat tow to the nearest service depot, at that stage probably about 600 klms away. If he was lucky.we both laughed and agreed I had the better option of a repair, even though his was more likely not to need a repair ( hopefully) he said. Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west Great stories, love to hear it all. Why the wide clearing on the sides of the road, construction, or room for wild animals ?
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I’m not sure,but maybe to be able to see the Roo,s, at least they won’t be feeding on the road edge,plus the sealed part is narrow and there are road trains out here and you are warned to get off the sealed part, look up road trains and see the size of them ,and they ar going 100+ kph. You can get off the seal at 50 mph in the 33 as smooth as and back on with no problem.
Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...p;d=1646982059
Road-Trains encountered by Lawrie out West in Queensland. |
Re: 33 out west https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...p;d=1646991304
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...p;d=1646991307 Close-up shots of Lawrie's ever faithful Imported 1933 Ford Fordor Sedan. |
Re: 33 out west Lawrie, I really enjoy hearing about your road trip! Some day I hope to put some serious miles on my '34 as you do! Have fun,
Doug. |
Re: 33 out west The accounts of your trips remind me of the posting here by the "Professor" Oldhenry of his trips throughout the western US. Thanks for taking us along. Australia (just not the big city part) is on my bucket list. Your trips will have to do until then if at all (I'm not getting any younger)
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Re: 33 out west Mercman
The 33 sure looks nice in those pics, it has covered a lot of miles since then and as such ,has lots of stone chips etc,but still looking ok Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west Well Lawrie here I sit feeling down, only running on 5 cylinders and wondering how to pick myself up. Then I saw your posts, that's what our 33's were made for.
Have Fun (& check out the power station that I mentioned) Keith |
Re: 33 out west Keep sending the photos Lawrie. I like that Eromanga area out West. Are you going to have a scratch around for some opals while you’re out there?
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Re: 33 out west Keith,sorry I couldn’t talk longer the other day at the shops,my trolley was full of frozen stuff for the caravan, were again is the power station,in Quilpie?
33 going good, I will see how it starts this morning as it has sat out in the biggest rain and thunderstorm all yesterday arvo and overnight. Get in your 33 and go for coffee somewhere Yes Danny, I’m heading for eromanga on Monday for a day or so,there is a new big dinosaur museum there so I will fit in there, yesterday morning I went exploring,found a lake but no swimming for me,also found an old EK Holden Ute |
Re: 33 out west Lawrie my mistake, while Quilpie has a power station museum the solar operating one is in Windorah
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Ok Keith, I don’t know yet if I will go to Windorah yet, I will make a call on Tuesday when I,m leaving eromanga,
I found a big stash of old model T,s this morning ,old Bob would be in heaven I,m going to see a guy who has a T truck this arfo Stay positive Pic is exploring the country side Lawrie |
Re: 33 out west I always enjoy your travels Lawrie. Since I will likely never get to visit your amazing country, I will pester you with more questions. Now, in this photo, it looks like you may be on a side road, and the main track is off to the left? or is it a "divided" road, just dirt tracks? Also, since I was a dirt mover guy all my life, I am curious about the soil. It looks as though the road is the same soil as the nearby landscape, so is it a soil that packs well enough to call it a road? Clay, sand, hard packed dirt? Inquiring minds want to know !
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Re: 33 out west Cas3, that was me driving across a paddock (field) , I had taken a one lane road to look at some old model T stuff and saw a sign pointing to a lake so that’s was this track,the lake is in the distance in the tree line, the soil is hard packed dirt, but after the heavy rain that fell last night you would have trouble driving in it,
The rain and thunderstorm last night had lightning I had never seen in my life,huge bolts of lightning going horizontal across the sky with a ball at the end that seemed to explode and send lightning out in all directions,like a bomb going off, the 33 was just sitting out in it all .no trouble starting this morning, that 6v stuff is the go Lawrie |
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